As we all look forward to next weekend’s scintillating match-up between Philippine great Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, fans this past weekend were supposed to whet their appetites with what should have been two somewhat interesting match-ups. Sadly, neither fight lived up to its billing, and it took a stunning performance from an undercard fighter to save what was a considerably boring night of boxing.
Let’s save the best for last and start with the WBA Heavyweight tilt between ?the Hayemaker? David Haye of the UK, ooops! no rhyme intended, and the Russian giant, 7’2″ Nikolai Valuev. After having watched Valuev closely now for a number of years, I, like many others, expected Haye to virtually dominate the slower Valuev. However, in what seemed to be the modus operandi, Haye opted for a safer and more defensive strategy which had all the excitement of watching paint dry. While it is of course true that Valuev does pose somewhat intimidating size, his skill level and speed is by far below that of either of the Klitschkos. For the past year, Haye has often taken on many somewhat classless approaches in trying to goad one of the 2K’s into a fight, yet when given the chance at a piece of the heavyweight crown against a far inferior opponent to that of the brothers K, Haye spent most of his time wearing out the soles of his shoes in what resembled a track meet more than a fight. As for the amount of punches thrown, it is a certainty that CompuBox was not needed. Surely an abacus would have sufficed.
On to Connecticut where Chad Dawson was seeking some sort of redemption from nearly two years ago against the “Road Warrior” Glen Johnson. In their first meeting, many felt that Johnson was robbed of what seemed to be certain victory against Dawson. Add to that the fact that Dawson immediately rejected an offer for a rematch from Johnson in the post fight interviews in the ring. Yet after two victories over Antonio Tarver, Dawson’s promoter Gary Shaw felt that his charge was ready to prove his superiority over a worn and aged Johnson. While Dawson did control the action, and in some respects did avenge what could best be described as a gift decision in their first meeting, Dawson, like Haye before him, chose a safety-first approach to box his way to a decision over a 40-year old Johnson. Described by many, including HBO’s Jim Lampley as the dominant light-heavyweight in the world, Dawson left much to be desired as he backpedalled for 12 rounds on his way to victory.
As a sidebar to the fight, I think the following must be noted. While unlike others, I don’t generally get caught up in bashing the governing bodies of the sport, ie. The WBC, WBA etc. However, the WBC’s decision to make the Dawson-Johnson fight an interim title fight is beyond stupid. Montrealer Jean Pascal garnished the WBC title in June with a unanimous decision win over reigning champion Adrian Diaconu. Pascal then fulfilled his mandatory obligation and defended his title against the WBC’s number one contender, Silvio Branco in a much less lucrative match-up, yet was true to his word and honoured his commitment to the WBC. So how does the BC repay such loyalty? They award an interim title fight to a man who has already given up his title for refusing to fulfill his obligations in defending it against the then-mandatory challenger Diaconu. The spirit behind the interim title is in fact to keep the division active in case of an injury or contractual dispute with a champion. In this case however, Pascal has met his mandatory deadline and is recognized as the reigning world champion, so I ask you again, why was the Dawson-Johnson fight for an interim title?
Finally, the bright spot on this weekend’s radar, although the fight itself was not without its downside, was Mexico’s Alfredo Angulo’s crushing KO of previously undefeated Harry Joe Yorgey. Angulo proved he is without a doubt one of the most exciting fighters in the game, and has proven that he is willing to take on all comers. In terms of excitement, both Haye and Dawson would be served well to borrow a page from a crowd pleasing fighter like Angulo.
Just one sad note in that fight, and one that could have turned tragic, was the inept work of referee John Callas. Harry Joe Yorgey suffered what could be a career-ending KO because Callas was completely incompetent in his work. We all know that the primary objective of the referee is to ensure the safety of the fighters and to enforce the rules. Callas did neither. As a result he should be barred from ever performing his duties in the ring again. John Callas can be directly blamed for Yorgey suffering what might be the KO of the year.
